My laboratory research explores alternative pre-mRNA splicing in prostate cancer (PCa) biology, and liquid biopsy-derived molecular biomarkers of treatment outcomes. My clinical research investigates chemo-preventative strategies to reduce low risk PCa progression, and surgical alternatives to cytotoxic chemotherapy for metastatic testicular cancer.
Androgen Receptor Burden and Poor Response to Abiraterone or Enzalutamide in TP53 Wild-Type Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. JAMA Oncol (2019) 5(7):1060-1062. PMID: 31046065
Cell-free DNA profiling of metastatic prostate cancer reveals microsatellite instability, structural rearrangements and clonal hematopoiesis. Genome Medicine (2018) 10(1):85. PMID: 30458854
Oncologic Outcomes After Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Large European Single-centre Cohort with Median 10-Year Follow-up. Eur Urol Focus (2018) 4(3):351-359. PMID: 28753802
Effect of Comorbidity on Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Observational Study. J Clin Oncol (2017) 35(31):3566-3574. PMID: 28930493
Next-generation sequencing of advanced prostate cancer treated with androgen-deprivation therapy. Eur Urol (2014) 66(1):32-9. PMID: 24054872
2020-2021- CRUK Barts Centre Development Fund, Exploiting PTEN loss in Hypoxic Tumour Cells (Principal Investigator), £10,000
2018-2021- QMUL Life Sciences Initiative PhD Studentship, Understanding alternative splicing in human cancer by proteomics informed by transcriptomics (PIT) (Co-applicant with Professor Conrad Bessant), ~£80,000
2017-2021- The Urology Foundation/The John Black Charitable Foundation Project Grant, Androgen receptor splice variants in prostate cancer (Principal Investigator), £249,999
My laboratory-based research programme explores a link between alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS), a ubiquitous post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism, and prostate cancer (PCa) phenotypes. During AS, coding (exons) and non-coding (introns) regions of a gene are shuffled to create protein isoforms with different functions. AS is regulated by trans-acting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and tightly coupled to transcription. We are studying the link between dysregulation of transcriptional and intracellular signalling processes and AS, mediated by RBPs.
Our translational research examines how blood-derived liquid biopsy molecular biomarkers can be used to improve treatment outcomes for PCa patients. With NHS colleagues, we are investigating minimally-invasive surgical alternatives to chemotherapy for metastatic testicular cancer to reduce the therapy burden and toxicity. In collaboration with the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, we are exploring how minimally-toxic chemo-preventative strategies may reduce PCa progression on active surveillance.
171 Developing & Centralising a Nurse-Led Local Anaesthetic (La) Transperineal (Tp) Biopsy Service During Covid: A Success Story Winters D, Mehmi A, Odedra A et al. British Journal of Surgery (2022) 109(10)
Comparative Effectiveness Analyses of Salvage Prostatectomy and Salvage Radiotherapy Outcomes Following Focal or Whole-Gland Ablative Therapy (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, Cryotherapy or Electroporation) for Localised Prostate Cancer Nathan A, Ng A, Mitra A et al. Clinical Oncology (2022) 34(7) e69-e78
Retzius-sparing technique independently predicts early recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy Kadhim H, Ang KM, Tan WS et al. Journal of Robotic Surgery (2022) (7)
Safety of androgen therapy in men with prostate cancer Rajan P, Tharakan T, Chen R Best Practice and Research: Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (2022) (7)
141 New Guidelines to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Tests, Delayed Discharge and Costs Following Robot Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Nathan A, Hanna N, Rashid A et al. British Journal of Surgery (2021) 108(10)
283 Salvage Versus Primary Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Propensity-Matched Comparative Effectiveness Study from A High-Volume Tertiary Centre Nathan A, Fricker M, De Groote R et al. British Journal of Surgery (2021) 108(10)
New Guidelines to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Tests, Delayed Discharge and Costs Following Robot Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Nathan A, Hanna N, Rashid A et al. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (2021) 108(1)
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000711212700249&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a
Early outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy following completion of a structured training curriculum: a single surgeon cohort study Sehmbi AS, Sridhar AN, Sahadevan K et al. Journal of Clinical Urology (2021) 14(7) 246-254
New recommendations to reduce unnecessary blood tests after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Nathan A, Hanna N, Rashid A et al. BJU Int (2021) (1)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34110673
Salvage Versus Primary Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Propensity-matched Comparative Effectiveness Study from a High-volume Tertiary Centre Nathan A, Fricker M, De Groote R et al. European Urology Open Science (2021) 27(1) 43-52
For additional publications, please click herePostdoctoral Researchers
Dr John Foster
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